Appraisal of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Programme: A Case Study of a Typical Nigerian University
  • Author(s): Bankole Adebanji ; Julius Olugbenga Adedayo ; Samson Adeleye ; Taiwo Fasina
  • Paper ID: 1704388
  • Page: 365-376
  • Published Date: 16-05-2023
  • Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
  • Publisher: IRE Journals
  • e-ISSN: 2456-8880
  • Volume/Issue: Volume 6 Issue 11 May-2023
Abstract

The increasing rate of unemployment among higher institution graduates globally and particularly in the country, Nigeria, is indeed very worrisome! This can be attributed to factors such as deficient educational curricula and lack of basic skills to excel in the industrial setting. In order to curb this menace, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) introduced Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) through the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in 1973, as a way of closing the gap between the theoretical knowledge gained in the classrooms and the practical experience gained in the industries especially for the students in the natural sciences. However, this laudable objectives of establishing the scheme, seem not to be making any remarkable impact on the graduates’ competency after graduation due to some issues and challenges being faced by the students. This work appraised the effectiveness of the SIWES unit in achieving the core objectives of the scheme using a typical Nigerian University, Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, as a case study. It appraised the SIWES programme as being run in EKSU, using descriptive research survey type. The population was the final year students in the five faculties that normally present students for SIWES in the institution. Out of them, two hundred and sixty (260) students who had done their SIWES were purposively sampled for the study. The four research questions raised were descriptively answered. The research instrument was a self-designed questionnaire titled “Questionnaire on the Appraisal of the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme Programme in Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti” (QASIWESP) to elicit information from the sample that served as data for the study. The data were collected and analyzed descriptively (using weighted mean and standard deviation). The findings of the study revealed that SIWES programme as it is being run in EKSU, is fair/effective and meet the FGN set objectives for the programme. Some of the major challenges are students’ unwillingness to secure places very relevant to their areas of disciplines because of lack of funds and students’ unwillingness to secure organisations (that are very relevant to their disciplines) but too far from their homes due to lack of accommodation or financial constraints. The study recommended various possible ways of overcoming the challenges such as forming a synergy between institution and industry-based supervisors, provision of accommodation by the employers, early issuance of log books, Industrial Training (IT) letters and proper supervision/coordination by all the stakeholders

Citations

IRE Journals:
Bankole Adebanji , Julius Olugbenga Adedayo , Samson Adeleye , Taiwo Fasina "Appraisal of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Programme: A Case Study of a Typical Nigerian University" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 6 Issue 11 2023 Page 365-376

IEEE:
Bankole Adebanji , Julius Olugbenga Adedayo , Samson Adeleye , Taiwo Fasina "Appraisal of Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Programme: A Case Study of a Typical Nigerian University" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 6(11)